Time for a new life
by English Novelist
Summary: *updated* i have TWO extra stories ready if they are asked for,if not...then then stay in my head.  when Taiga and Ryuji begin their life together as a couple, what happens?
1. Chapter 1

My first story, I do not own Toradora, any related characters and such, I just write these for fun J -Sunset novelist By the way, expect more Toradora couplings! I plan on doing an entire series (a total of 3 stories all based on the three different couplings I had in mind, and maybe 2 extra if they are asked for. ) all characters are obviously 18+ stuff doesn't get too saucy for a bit. There's also a lot of introductory to characters and main events that happened in the actual anime.(seeing as I put these as sequels, however, the extra stories will then happen as if this story never even begun.

Chapter 1: going away again?

Ryuji Takasu stood on his balcony watching Taiga Aisaka play with her hair through her window. The short girl was looking at her feet, murmuring something about going away

"what? Taiga speak up!" Ryuji looked slightly flustered, Taiga had only been back for a week now, since she came back from her biological mother's home after being there for nearly a year and a half.

"I said, my father wants me to spend a week or so at my step mom's every month now, but I disagreed, so we came to a half-way, I will visit her once a year in the summer for three weeks, I'm leaving tomorrow." Her expression was dank, she had just gotten back and now she was leaving again. "I'm sorry Ryuji, it's just three weeks. You won't even miss me!" but she knew that was untrue, he had missed her for a year and a half, he would most definitely miss her more now than ever.

"call me each Saturday, be well-mannered." was all Ryuji had to say

"Ryuji…" taiga looked at him like a lost kitten, she didn't want to go, but her father was a big problem in her life that, without him she wouldn't have even met Ryuji in the first place, she wouldn't have the silly nickname, 'Palmtop Tiger'. her life was completely changed from the moment her father had rented that apartment for her, and for that reason, she had to make it up to her father.

"I'll be right over, to help you pack." Ryuji turned away and went back into his house, feeling that sting of hate for Taiga's father in his heart.

Ten minutes later, Ryuji was packing Taiga's hygiene items while she packed clothes, Ryuji was forbidden to enter her closet for anything. He guessed she didn't want him getting into her clothes. Half an hour later, everything was packed into two medium sized-suitcases containing a weeks worth of clothes, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, and other necessities. At the end, Ryuji sighed with content mixed with some sadness.

"Ryuji, I don't want to go, you know that." Taiga's expression had been dreary all day, she wanted to make up for time lost with him over this summer. She wanted to have those precious moments they would reflect on as they grew together.

Ryuji picked Taiga up and put her on his shoulder." You will have plenty of time for me these next two years, I'm going to college when I'm Twenty-one, and I have a job now. These next two years will make up for all the time we didn't spend together." Ryuji looked at the large apartment he was use to coming to now and then. Checking the clock on the wall he took on a surprised look. "I've got a shift in an hour, we have half of that to spend together, then when I get home I'm making your favourite for dinner.

(if you can find out what Taiga's favourite food is without using the videos, I commend you, I had problems with the videos and couldn't find what her favourite Dinner was) What should we do first?"

Taiga pondered this for a minute." I want to go to the train station and look out off the balcony, and on the way there, you are going to tell me everything that's happened since I left."

This sounded good to Ryuji, the train station is where He had confessed to Taiga almost Two years ago. "good idea, Let's go".

On the way there, Ryuji and Taiga discussed things that had gone on with family and friends the past year. "How's Ya-chan,Ryuji?" Taiga referred to Ryuji's mother in a close way, Yasuko considers Taiga a part of the family, Since Taiga is over at their house every day.

"she's been working more at the Bar, She almost brought home one of the customers last month, she got him to the door and I sent him packing."

"What about Kitamura-kun?" Yusaku Kitamura had been a crush of Taiga's that had undid itself when Ryuji and herself had worked together to earn their respectful crushes love, Yusaku had been Taiga's crush.

"I heard he's given chase after Sumire to America, before leaving he bought a small sapphire ring to present to her for a confession." Kitamura had confessed to the whole school that he was in love with Sumire Kano, the former student council president at Ohashi after she told him she was going abroad to America to study, Slightly breaking Taiga's heart in the process.

"That fool, she rejected him once, who says she won't do it again? What then, are Minorin and The Chihuahua getting into?" Minori Kushieda and Ami Kawashima are two good friends of Taiga's, Minorin being Ryuji's old crush before Taiga. Ami had been a model and old childhood friend of Yusaku, she had often flirted openly with Yusaku and he had been to dense to notice, She also flirted occasionally with Ryuji in front of Taiga when Taiga had been losing interest in Yusaku. Taiga and Ami share a mutual dislike of each other.

"I heard they've been living together across town. Ami has been Working a lot though. Minori's been getting alone fine with the team practices, she's got the respect of the whole team now." Minori was a skilled baseball pitcher her only off times in high school were during a small relationship bump after she rejected Ryuji before he could even confess to her, and one odd throw during the decoration of the school's Christmas tree, shattering Taiga's favourite ornament in the process.

They were finally there, the balcony where Taiga had pushed Ryuji over, landing in the pond below, he confessed to Taiga and told her that in two months he would Propose to her.

"you shocked me when you confessed, I felt so relieved you felt that way for me." Taiga referred to how out of the blue his confession was.

"I even surprised myself, the way you cared about my feelings just sent me over the top how much you cared. it just made me feel…. Like you were the one who I need most."

Ryuji had begun to tear up, it was a happy memory, she had accepted his confession and they had run off to Yasuko's parents together for refuge. It was nice to escape the world for a week or so.

"we better get back." said Ryuji, looking at his watch." I've got to get ready for my shift."

Back at Ryuji's house, Ryuji was cleaning up for his job at the family restaurant as a chef.

"so you got a job as a chef at the family restaurant?" Taiga asks with some optimism in her voice. "good, just cook dinner there and bring it back fast, I'll be here for…when do you get off?"

"five thirty, I'll ask first if I can make dinner there and I'll pay them for the service and use of produce." Ryuji put on his shoes and put his cell phone in his pocket

"see you then, Ryuji" Taiga stood on her tippy toes and looked into Ryuji's dark black eyes and he leans down and kisses her. After three seconds or so, he pulls away to run off to his job, with a slight blush on his cheeks. Taiga sighs with happiness and walks out of Ryuji's house and locks it with her newly acquired key, walks the 10-something steps to her apartment and lays down a newspaper on the floor and places a small clay figurine of a four-legged tailed animal, not yet colored and pasty white, also placing a box of orange, red and black paints along with a variety of brushes. She smiled to herself. "this is the best gift idea from me to him".

The rest of the day was normal, ending with Yasuko stumbling into the house drunk with love and alcohol and falling asleep in Ryuji's arms.

"I'll see you at the airport tomorrow at 10:00 Ryuji, don't be late." she kisses him as she gets up to walk to her apartment for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Next chapter! Here we go! it's get's a little hot in here. (side note, birthdays are estimated, but it is known that Ryuji's birthday is in February/march.)

Chapter 2:The Tiger's Toys & The Perfect Gift

Ryuji walked around in the half-deserted airport, looking below everyone's chin, that was the easiest way to find her. He located her in minutes, standing in a corner with her back to him, it looked like she was holding something and trying to hide it.

"Taiga! I've been looking for you! Taiga!" she scrambled to grab her things and when she looked back to confirm who it was, she was wrong. She relaxed and put everything down.

"You scared me, Ryuji. I thought you were someone else." she hadn't turned around to talk to him, only turned her head slightly to the left, Looking over her left shoulder. Ryuji could see the sadness in her eyes, he frowned with her

"I'm a bit late, but that's OK….when does your flight leave?" he wanted her to stay with him, to have those happy memories with her by his side. To make up lost time.

"Ryuji, I'll miss you…so much." she began to tear up. Her eyes welling up, she began to sob and she dropped a small white package, it landed with a safe thud. Ryuji turned her around and picked her up in his arms by her torso and kissed her, both were now crying, salty tears interrupting their lover's kiss.

When Ryuji pulled away, Taiga nuzzled into his neck and stained his new white shirt with tears of love. "don't cry Taiga, I'll miss you too, but don't think about me too much, if it helps, talk to your father about it. He might let you off early this one time." Taiga had stopped crying, but the streaks from her tears had ruined her perfect face, she hadn't worn makeup at all, the streaks just made her look too sad to be Taiga, she never looked this sad before.

"here Ryuji, I painted this for you, it's thanks for all that time back in high school when you ca red for me, I want to make it all up to you." She picked up the white package and thrust it into Ryuji's hands. "open it when you get home."

Ryuji shook his head." you've already made it up to me, by letting me stay by your side all this time, for being you, and for helping me understand you." He looked at her tear-streaked face and kissed her cheek." Have a good trip, Mrs. Takasu."

Taiga smiled and punched Ryuji in the arm. "I'm still Miss Aisaka, we're not married yet, and you haven't even formally proposed yet!" she continued to punch him in the shoulder. Calming down enough to giggle a bit, she heard her flight being called for boarding.

"Goodbye Ryuji! See you soon!" she waved as she ran with everything in tow.

Ryuji smiled, he would miss her, that beautiful woman who would be his wife.

Picking up the package, Ryuji handled it carefully, bringing it to his home, setting it down on the dinning room table. He suddenly remembered to check Taiga's apartment if she had forgotten anything. He ran up to the second floor and checked the door, it was open. "that clumsy girl, always forgetting something." he checked inside, everything was fine, but what about Taiga's closet? Had she brought enough clothes? Ryuji wasn't allowed in there, but this was an emergency. "I'm sure she'll understand." he threw open her closet and went through everything, she had just enough hangers to be sure she had taken enough clothes, but at the back…..

" Hey, what's this? Ryuji pulled out a small backpack, about the size of Taiga's back that had in large letters on the outside written ' Taiga's Traveling bag ' he opened it slowly, hoping it was empty or full of something they had packed already, but inside he felt something about 4-6 inches long, rubbery-plastic, and very smooth, he pulled it out, not wanting to damage it if it was fragile. When he laid eyes on it dropped it and quickly retreated from the room, kicking the backpack and thing inside the closet and closing the closet behind them. Breathing heavily, he sent Taiga a text, Hoping she was already at a good altitude to use her cell phone.

"did you leave something here, I think you did. Something for traveling? He was sweating, it was horrible, he never wanted to see it again.

Three minutes later his cell vibrated "I think I might've, On accidental purpose, Why?"

She had forgotten her special backpack on purpose, should couldn't have kept it safe in a house full of curious children.

"I may have found it accidentally while checking if you forgot anything, like the door….." he was stunned, it was so outrageous to picture Taiga, his wife to be. Doing THAT.

"You didn't go in the closet did you?" there was a good reason Ryuji was forbidden from there, it held her most private things.

"I needed to check if you had brought enough clothes, I'm sorry." he waited for the full Caps text that he knew would be incoming.

"RYUJI! YOU DIDN'T SEE IT DID YOU?" she was on the verge of hitting the seat in front of her in substitution for Ryuji.

" I didn't mean to! I swear Taiga! I'll never look in there again! :'(

" RYUJI! You've made me so embarrassed! Don't touch them, they've been in….unsavory places." she couldn't believe he had found her toys!

Ryuji cried a little, just thinking about it was killing him.

" I didn't see it before I pulled it out and…and, oh god I'm so sorry."

Taiga melted when she saw this, the unthinkable had happened. Someone had found her toys.

" *sigh* it's okay Ryuji, I'll fix it later. Go back to your house and calm down. When I come back, I'll make it better." she knew how to remedy this, it would take some psyching out and a little mental concentration, but she could get help from a good shrink in the city.

" Okay, see you in three weeks then. "Ryuji locked Taiga's house with his own key and walked back to his house. Remembering the Package, he opened it slowly and inside was a perfect gift from Taiga to Ryuji….

"Palmtop Tiger" Ryuji muttered. He marveled at Taiga's artistic capabilities, it looked perfect in every way. The small tiger figurine was painted with perfect strokes and color. Along with thin pipe cleaners for whiskers. Before setting it on his mantle he took a picture of it sealing the beauty of it forever in his life.


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter!( I don't know Japanese culture) power to them for surviving over 450 aftershocks, more than 2 actual earthquakes, floods and other disasters in the span of

3-11-11 to 3-16-11 (this is when i began this chapter) by the way! I remembered Taiga's favourite! pork cutlets!

Chapter 3:Running back to him & Moving in

It was Saturday, Taiga had left six days ago on Sunday. Ryuji was expecting a call sometime after lunch, so he ran to the family restaurant to pull a few extra hours. When he got there, the restaurant was filled with families coming in for their brunch special.

Orders were fast and uncomplicated everyone either wanted eggs and bacon with toast, pancakes with butter and maple syrup on them, or the restaurants favourite, steak with rice pudding and apple slices.

(not sure how I came up with this)

When he got home at 2:30 Ryuji noticed that Taiga had still not called him, this was unusual, but maybe she was busy, he cooked his own lunch, again missing cooking the extra portions for Taiga and his mother, who had taken a short vacation from work.

He sat down and began eating, when he was done his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, expecting Taiga's message to appear on the screen, but it didn't, it was Yasuko, she wanted him to know that she planned to head straight to the bar when she got home tomorrow, and she would be back at the usual time with her suitcases, and also that one of the many friends she had would drop her things off the next day.

"Mother, you never cease to amaze me." He chuckled to himself , Taiga would call later, he knew she would.

Ryuji had to go out for another shift at 3:30, and when he came back at 6:00 nobody had called at all. He started to worry, Taiga had promised she would call him. He texted her.

"hello" , ten minutes later there was still no answer. He put his phone down and ran to her apartment, looking around, he found what he was looking for, Taiga's home phone. He picked up the phone and pressed the check messages button on it.

"no messages received" the voice was feminine and robotic, he put the phone down and walked back to his place, locking up Taiga's house again. He stood in front of the clean countertop and looked down at the one bowl that was always out for Taiga, it had paintings of a tiger on it, a gift from Minori after Taiga had left to Ryuji, he had cherished it as one of the only material things he could remember Taiga by.

He fell asleep holding his phone to his heart, she hadn't called or texted him back, he worried.

His dreams were Terrible, his imagination ran wild with reasons why she hadn't called him. Her plane had crashed, she had died, her father had taken her hostage from the world, she had forgotten about him and moved on in her broken family, she had been forced to abandon him and run away with her father to some unknown location. It was terrible, he woke every two hours until he woke at 6. Drifting back to sleep, he dreamed of the memories of Taiga he keep dear. This was his good karma that night.

The next day, around the usual 11:24 PM, Yasuko stumbled in the door for the first time in two weeks.

"Ryuji, I missed you honey…."she was drunk and half asleep, he was always amazed how she had always managed to make it down the streets form the bar all the way to their house on time every day.

"help me undress, I had too many drinks, I've been drinking since 3 and I've not taken…"she fell to the floor when Ryuji dropped her, he couldn't undress his own mother! Still young at 37, she still had the looks she had when she was 33. He couldn't undress her even if she had ordered him to. It was simply too embarrassing. He pulled her to her room and tucked her into bed wearing all her clothes still.

Three days later, on Wednesday, he received a text from Taiga.

"I'm sorry, see you in two hours."

He cleaned the house up. He had neglected to do anything but stare at Taiga's bowl, eat, and go to work. He hadn't slept much save for the two or five hours of sweet dreams he got. An hour and a half later, everything was done and he stood outside his house, waiting for Taiga.

He was looking down the street in the direction Taiga would come from if she had come from the Airport. Something was pushed into his back and he froze up it was like a finger, but bigger. A gun ,maybe? No it was too small for a gun, And much too thin.

"Ryuji….this is from my father to me…." He turned around and without looking at her, he took the letter and read it aloud.

"I've decided to finally let you go, live your life. I'm transferring 100,000.000 yen into your account, this is the money for the rest of your life, I've also tracked down Ryuji's account and transferred 100,000 yen into his account. This is my thanks and apology for not being there. I've stopped paying for the apartment, turn in the keys and move your things out, live with Ryuji. I've also completely cut you off from the family, you don't have to see us anymore. Just live your life and be happy, goodbye. -father"

"I told him to do this, to let me go, and he did." she sighed,

"and now I'm free of that family. I'm staying with you and living my life, we'll build up money from jobs and send you to college. I'm going to become a bar waitress with Yasuko, I'm not going to be too bad though, don't worry."

Ryuji picked her up and hugged her, he had started crying, his tears soaking Taiga's shirt.

He set her down and she looked into his teary eyes, she began to cry too, she was happy that she was free from her curse.

They walked into Taiga's apartment lobby and turned in both sets of keys after bringing everything Taiga would need for living with Ryuji. Clothes, her travel pack(now hidden in a big blue towel.) her personal items and sheets. And they moved it all into Ryuji's unofficial basement of the house, it was dark and had no windows, in the middle of the room stood a fire pit the size of a medium-sized crate. They had planned this room as the basement but they didn't have enough things to store down there.

"Wow, we should convert this to our room. it'd be perfect!" Taiga looked at the spacious room that was completely devoid of anything except for the fire pit, a few stray boxes for holidays, extra mattresses for guests and a stockpile of canned food for emergency.

"we should, we will. But not now, for now you'll sleep with Yasuko." with a blush, Ryuji put Taiga's personals in another corner of the room. He took a mattress from the room and pushed it into Yasuko's room.

"Ryuji, we've already slept together once, what's so difficult about it now?" she picked up the mattress with a small struggle and held it up.

"Taiga, I….I'm not ready to be sleeping with the woman I'm dating just yet, let's just go slow, I've already touched your toys, I don't want to get too close too fast." Ryuji took the mattress from Taiga and set it back down.

"Idiot!" Taiga screamed as she punched Ryuji furiously.

"Don't ever bring that up!" she continued punching him until he fell down on the mattress she straddled his torso and held his arms down. When she saw he was laughing she started laughing with him.

Ryuji was laughing because the punches did not hurt, he was used to this. His laugh echoed into a cough and he looked into the brown eyes of his girlfriend.

Taiga sat atop his chest and looked down into his mature black eyes and said." don't bring that up again, you stupid guy." she punched him one last time for good measure and before getting off of him, Leaned down and kissed him on his forehead.

Taiga got up and left the room, leaving Ryuji in post-bliss he sighed and got up as well. He made Taiga's bed and used her sheets she loved so much.

The next day, Ryuji woke up when something was tickling his nose.

"Mmmff, stop tickling my nose…."he grabbed the closest thing, which was his shoe, and tapped the top of whatever it was that was tickling him it made a soft thud and he opened his eyes to see Taiga breathing on his face.

"Good morning, Ryuji, sleep good?" Taiga was smiling, she looked a bit too happy for the morning. "What're you so happy about?" Ryuji grumbled and relaxed, throwing his shoe back in the general direction of where he got it. "oh nothing, just happy" she giggled when she straddled his stomach and lowered herself onto him. Ryuji was still covered in his blanket, he was naked underneath. Taiga knew that he was.

When Taiga got off him ten minutes later, he started to get up, but remembered he was naked. He slid back underneath the blankets and tried to shoo Taiga out of his room. When she was gone he noticed a small sticky note attached to his blanket near his groin, he also noticed that there was a very noticeable tent in the blanket.

"TAIGA! How could you!" she had stuck a note to his groin area on the blanket because she had noticed his morning wood. no wonder she had been so happy. He unstuck the note and read it.

"Ryuji! Thinking about unsavory things with TWO women in the same house is unacceptable! From now on please make yourself decent before either of us wakes up! We don't want to see you like that!" he was laughing by the end, it was funny. He got up, got dressed and grabbed Taiga by her hand and dragged her into the basement. "Ryuji! Let go! Get your manish hands off of me!" He stood her in the corner, where she couldn't escape from him.

"what do you want?" she barked at him. He held up the note in response. She blushed and turned away from him, she began playing with her hair. "you made me embarrassed, looking at it, making that big tent in your blanket….it was disgraceful! It was gross!"

"And It made you think…..unsavory things…correct?" Taiga turned back at him and looked down at her feet, blushing like an apple.

"you should be more decent with two women in the same house as you, Ryuji.…" she looked back and wagged a finger in his face.

"YOU shouldn't sneak into my room while I'm sleeping. Besides, it's hot in my room. I gave you two the fan for the summer." he wagged his own finger in her face, trying to prove his point. She smiled and kissed his cheek, then she whispered into his ear.

"but yes, unsavory things did come to mind when I saw you asleep like that, but you don't want to know what." she smiled and walked up the stairs up into the living room leaving him with those last words.


End file.
